Go For bespoke storage

Storage is essential all round the home, but it is possible to incorporate it in ways that actually make the floor plan uncluttered and the furniture unobtrusive, maximising space in the room. With made-to-measure designs you can put together the right combination of shelves, cubbyholes, cupboards, drawers and display areas to accommodate items you have now, as well as future buys. It can also be tailored to the room’s dimensions, using the whole area from floor to ceiling if necessary, as well as places where off-the-shelf designs just can’t go – think shelving built around a door frame, for example. If you have alcoves, bespoke pieces can use the whole space rather than roughly filling it, as a high street buy might. Bespoke also allows the addition of other features like desktops that can be folded away when not in use. You can opt for a national or local company that specialises in made-to-measure designs, or call on a joiner. Prices start from around £900 for an alcove unit, but will depend on materials, finishes and complexity of the design. ➤